Archive for March, 2012

I returned yesterday from the annual NAPO Conference which was held this year in Baltimore. The weather was spectacular and the city beckoned but I will admit I did not see much of it. I attended every session I could so, naturally, that meant I was inside the convention center. Every NAPO confence I have attended has been great but I think that the more of them I attend the more I learn. You see, every year I go I meet more and more professional organizers. This means so much to me because now I can put more faces to names on twitter and facebook. Yes, I know the profile pictures are on on these sites but when I meet these organizers in person I learn something about them and that makes a real connection for me. Amazingly, we all speak the same ‘organizing’ language. Aside from some personal catching up we talk about and share tips and tricks for scheduling, the kind of planners we use – digital or paper – and how to use them more effectively, challenges prioritizing and challenges with clients. Of course, when we talk about clients we talk in broad terms and do not share any identifying information!

Some of the classes I took gave me terrific insight as to why (and how to help) some of my clients who may be challenged by procrastination. I also took a workshop to give me some better coaching techniques – words or phrases to use to coach a client past stuck. I would love to help them arrive at a solution of their own creation – that they may be willing – even eager to use. Another workshop taught me how to help a client better organize their closet – what to keep and why.

As you might imagine, my brain is still on overload. I’m still processing what I’ve learned and am thinking about how I will incorporate some of these organizing strategies into my business to better assist my clients.